Officers looking for guns stolen from Greenwood police cruiser

GREENWOOD - A Greenwood police cruiser was broken into Sunday and several guns were stolen.

The case is being investigated by the Greenwood County Sheriff's Office since the police cruiser belonged to the Greenwood Police Department, said Maj. William Kinney, with the Greenwood County Sheriff's Office.

"It's very dangerous, very dangerous," Kinney said. "These weapons are specialized for a particular unit and they are dangerous weapons."

According to a police report, an unmarked 2007 Ford Explorer, belonging to the department's narcotics unit, was the vehicle that was broken into. The report stated that the Explorer's doors were left unlocked. There were no signs of forced entry into the vehicle.

A pistol, a shotgun, a bulletproof vest, two thousand rounds of ammunition, several magazines for the pistol and a black patrol bag were stolen from the car.

"Any gun on the street in the hands of a criminal poses a threat," Kinney said.

The Greenwood Police Chief said that if the investigation shows that the car was unlocked, then such a slip is a violation of the department's rules. The officer may face consequences as a result, the police chief said.

The police chief said he will be meeting with the officer Tuesday to hear his side of the story before deciding what to do next.

Greenwood County sheriff's deputies said there have been about 20 vehicle break-ins in the past few days. All of the cars appeared to be unlocked.

If you have any information about the burglaries or the whereabouts of the stolen weapons, you can contact the Greenwood County Sheriff's Office at (864) 942- 8600.